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Friendship With God Or Friendship With The World	Posted:Apr 20, 2015 6:24 pm Last Updated:Mar 17, 2020 9:24 am 5445 Views
Which Will You Choose? James 4:4 Adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is making himself an enemy of God It is our choice who our friends are is it not? The thing is that we are most often judge by the friendships we keep. Who we associate with effects our thinking and our actions. We tend to take on our friends' attributes and characters to some extent. Of course, friendship and association with others is a natural need. Proverbs 18:24 There are companions ready to crush one another, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother Proverbs 17:17 A true friend shows love at all times, And is a brother who is born for times of distress Proverbs 27:6 The wounds inflicted by a friend are faithful, But an enemy’s kisses are plentiful Proverbs 27:9 Oil and incense make the heart rejoice; So does sweet friendship springing from sincere counsel Especially since we are made in God's image do we crave friendship. He also likes friendship. James 2:21-23 Was not Abraham our father declared righteous by works after he offered up Isaac his on the altar? You see that his faith was active along with his works and his faith was perfected by his works, and the scripture was fulfilled that says: “Abraham put faith in Jehovah, and it was counted to him as righteousness,” and he came to be called Jehovah’s friend. Proverbs 8:30 Then I was beside him as a master worker. I was the one he was especially fond of day by day; I rejoiced before him all the time Without friendship, people perish. How much more so will we perish without friendship with Jehovah God, perishing for all eternity. Matthew 7:13+14 Go in through the narrow gate, because broad is the gate and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are going in through it; whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are finding it 2thessalonians 1:8+9 .....as he brings vengeance on those who do not know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus. These very ones will undergo the judicial punishment of everlasting destruction from before the Lord and from the glory of his strength Matthew 25:46 These will depart into everlasting cutting-off, but the righteous ones into everlasting life.” What is the context of 'the world' in Scripture? John 3:16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten , so that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life. Here it is referring to mankind in general. James 4:4 Adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is making himself an enemy of God Here is is referring to those lying in the power of the wicked on(satan) and separated from God. Why is it that we can be separated from God? 1John 5:19 ....the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one How is satan's rulership manifest? 1. False Religion; 2. Political Governments, and; 3. Commercialism. The false religions of the world promote war, prejudice, immorality, idolatry(which is greed), along with false teachings. The political governments of the world do not work in harmony with God's principles and standards but work according to their own thinking. They offer corruption and half-hearted, patchwork solutions to the needs of mankind with little sympathy or empathy to those in true need. The commercial systems of the world are only working for the 'love of money' with a 'greed is good' mentality. We now live in a 'milk carton' society where everything is manufactured to be thrown away in the first instance and not repaired which is ruining our ecosystems and resources. It is designed to play on our wants instead of our needs which are two vastly different things. So, what can we do about the world around us? Nothing. These things will be sorted out in God's own good time. Then how can we separate ourselves from satan's world? By putting into practice the things learned from the Bible. By applying God's principles and standards in every aspect of our daily lives and in our thinking. God's moral standards and satan's lack of moral standards is where the difference really lies. Immorality is openly promoted by the world - corruption, greed and indecency. Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are plainly seen, and they are sexual immorality, uncleanness, brazen conduct, idolatry, spiritism, hostility, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, dissensions, divisions, sects, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and things like these. I am forewarning you about these things, the same way I already warned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s Kingdom. 2Corinthians 6:17 “‘Therefore, get out from among them, and separate yourselves,’ says Jehovah, ‘and quit touching the unclean thing’” Never-the-less, it is easy to love little bits of this world. To be lured by satan's enticements. There are many things that feel or seem good to us in our imperfect state such as jewellery, cars, expensive homes, clothes, shoes, makeup and music. It isn't that these things are neccessarily bad in and off themselves but the chasing after them to put them before the love and worship of God is the trap satan lays out for us. Likewise, it is not against God to enjoy ourselves and have fun, laughing and playing with friends and family, but once again, do these things come before our thinking of God and our devotion to Him. It is vital to weigh up, also, whether these things are of a wholesome nature. It may not be the dancing and partying that is necessarily the problem but the venue and the accruements that go along with such a venue. It is also vital that we do not hate people. We need to hate the things of satan that they do and not follow along after them in their behaviour but we need to be peaceable with everyone, even our enemies, so that they may be able to come to God through our showing of love and care toward them. We need to resist the world's ways without hatred and prejudice toward our fellowmen. Like a big city at night, the world can look very pretty indeed, but what does the light of day reveal? Filth and corruption with a very thin veneer of goodness glossed over it. Cultivate The Finest Friendship Of All Friendship actually costs us something. It may be our time, our resources and our love. So, isn't friendship with God worthy of our effort? Isn't it the highest goal that we can aim for? Can we be part-time friends with Jehovah? Is being a part-time friend with anyone really friendship? When we want to build a close friendship with someone do we not put in the effort to get to know that person? How much more so is it important to get to know God. His attributes and character. His likes and dislikes. How much more important is it that we take on Jehovah God's attributes than of those in the world around us. Galatians 5:22-26 ....the fruitage of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. Moreover, those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed to the stake the flesh together with its passions and desires. If we are living by spirit, let us also go on walking orderly by spirit. Let us not become egotistical, stirring up competition with one another, envying one another. Mark 10:29 Jesus said: “Truly I say to you, no one has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or or fields for my sake and for the sake of the good news who will not get 100 times more now in this period of time—houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, , and fields, with persecutions—and in the coming system of things, everlasting life So, how can we do the things that will bring us into friendship with God? By learning the Truth of Scripture, study the Bible regularly, sacrificing our time and our resources and the things of this world to put God first in our lives, going to Meeting on a regular basis and by taking part in the ministry to teach and preach the Good News of God's Kingdom, to help others to understand the love God has for us and the blessing available to us now and into the future. We too can really have the PRIVILEGE of being called 'God's friend.' Yours Sincerely, Katidid.
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He First Loved Us	Posted:Apr 16, 2015 6:33 pm Last Updated:Apr 20, 2015 2:45 am 3220 Views
On a spring day nearly 2,000 years ago, an innocent man was tried illegally, convicted of crimes he had never committed and was then tortured to death. It was not the first cruel and unjust execution in history; nor, sadly, was it the last. Yet, that death was unlike any other. As that man suffered through his final, agonizing hours, heaven itself marked the significance of the event. Though it was the middle of the day, darkness suddenly descend on the land. As one historian put it, "the sunlight failed," Luke 23:44+45 Well, by now it was about the sixth hour, and yet a darkness fell over all the land until the ninth hour because the sunlight failed; then the curtain of the sanctuary was torn down the middle. Then, just before the man breathed his last, he said these unforgettable words: "It has been accomplished!" Indeed, by laying down his life, he accomplished something wonderful. His sacrifice was the greatest act of love ever performed by any human. John 15:13 No one has love greater than this, that someone should surrender his life in behalf of his friends John 19:30 When he had received the sour wine, Jesus said: “It has been accomplished!” and bowing his head, he gave up his spirit. That man, of course, was Jesus Christ. His suffering and death on that dark day, Nisan 14, 33C.E., are well-known. However, an important fact has often been ignored. Though Jesus suffered intensely, someone else suffered even more. In fact, someone else made an even greater sacrifice that day - the greatest act of love ever performed by anyone in the universe! What act was that? The answer provides a fitting introduction to the most important of subjects: Jehovah's love. The Roman centurion who supervised the execution of Jesus was astonished both by the darkness that preceded Jesus' death and by the violent earthquake that followed it. Matthew 27:54 But when the army officer and those with him keeping watch over Jesus saw the earthquake and the things happening, they grew very much afraid and said: " Certainly this was God's " Clearly, Jesus was no ordinary man. That soldier had helped to execute the only-begotten of the Most High God! Just how dear was this to his Father? The Bible calls Jesus 'the first born of all creation.' Colossians 1:15+16 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; because by means of him all other things were created in the heavens and on the earth, the things visible and the things invisible, whether they are thrones or lordships or governments or authorities. All other things have been created through him and for him Just think - Jehovah's was in existence before the physical universe. How long, then were Father and together? Some scientists estimate that the universe is 13 billion years old. Can you even imagine that much time? To help people grasp the age of the universe as estimated by scientists, one planetarium features a time line 360 feet long. As visitors walk along that time line, each step represents about 75 millions years in the life of the universe. A the end of the time line, all human history is represented by a single mark the thickness of one human hair! Yet, even if this estimate is correct, the entire time line would not be long enough to represent the life span of Jehovah's ! How was he occupied during all those ages? The happily served as his Father's "master worker." Proverbs 8:30 Then I was beside him as a master worker. I was the one he was especially fond of day by day; I rejoiced before him all the time John 1:3+4 All things came into existence through him, and apart from him not even one thing came into existence. What has come into existence by means of him was life, and the life was the light of men. So Jehovah and His worked together to bring all other things into being. What thrilling, happy times they had! Now, many will agree that the love between parent and is amazingly strong. Colossains 3:14 But besides all these things, clothe yourselves with love, for it is a perfect bond of union. Who of us, then, can begin to fathom the power of a bond that has existed over such and immense span of time? Clearly, Jehovah God and His are united by the strongest bond of love ever forged. Nevertheless, the Father dispatched His to the earth to be born as a human baby. Doing so meant that for some decades, Jehovah had to forgo intimate association with His beloved in heaven. With intense interest, He watched form heaven as Jesus grew up to be a perfect man. At the age of 30 Jesus got baptized. We do not have to guess how Jehovah felt about him. That father spoke personally from heaven. Matthew 3:17 Look! Also, a voice from the heavens said: “This is my , the beloved, whom I have approved. Seeing that Jesus faithfully did all that had been prophesied, all that was asked of him, His Father must have been so pleased! John 5:36 But I have the witness greater than that of John, for the very works that my Father assigned me to accomplish, these works that I am doing, bear witness that the Father sent me. John 17:4 I have glorified you on the earth, having finished the work you have given me to do. How, though, did Jehovah feel on Nisan 14, 33C.E.? How did He feel as Jesus was betrayed and then arrested by a mob in the night? As Jesus was deserted by His friends and subjected to an illegal trial? As he was scourged, his back torn to ribbons? As he was nailed, hands and feet, to a wooden pole and left to hang there while people reviled him? How did the Father feel as his beloved cried out to Him in the throes of agony? How did Jehovah feel as Jesus breathed His last, and for the first time since the dawn of all creation, His dear was not in existence? Matthew 26:14-16 Then one of the Twelve, the one called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said: “What will you give me to betray him to you?” They stipulated to him 30 silver pieces. So from then on, he kept looking for a good opportunity to betray him Matthew 26:46+47 Get up, let us go. Look! My betrayer has drawn near.” While he was still speaking, look! Judas, one of the Twelve, came and with him a large crowd with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people Matthew 26: 56 But all of this has taken place for the writings of the prophets to be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples abandoned him and fled. Matthew 26:59 Now the chief priests and the entire San′he·drin were looking for false testimony against Jesus in order to put him to death Matthew 26:67 Then they spat in his face and hit him with their fists. Others slapped him on the face, Matthew 27:38-44 Then two robbers were put on stakes alongside him, one on his right and one on his left. And those passing by spoke abusively of him, shaking their heads and saying: “You who would throw down the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are a of God, come down off the torture stake!” In the same way also, the chief priests with the scribes and the elders began mocking him, saying: “Others he saved; himself he cannot save! He is King of Israel; let him now come down off the torture stake, and we will believe in him. He has put his trust in God; let Him now rescue him if He wants him, for he said, ‘I am God’s .’” In the same way, even the robbers who were on stakes alongside him were reproaching him. John 19:1 Pilate then took Jesus and scourged him Words fail us. Since Jehovah has feelings, the pain He suffered over the death of His is beyond the power of our words to express. What can be expressed is Jehovah's motive for having allowed it to happen. Why did the Father subject Himself to such feelings? Jehovah reveals something wonderful to us. John 3:16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten , so that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life This Bible verse is so important that it has been called the Gospel in miniature. So Jehovah's motive amounted to this: LOVE. Jehovah's gift - His sending His to suffer and die for us - was the greatest act of love ever! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Doesn't it make you just cry. For Jah's sadness and for His loving kindness toward us. What hope could we have ever had without it. Love, Katidid.
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These Last Days - Are You Ready!	Posted:Apr 16, 2015 4:30 pm Last Updated:Apr 19, 2015 4:45 am 3203 Views
Matthew 24:14 And this Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come During the 2014 Service Year 1,945,487,604 hours were spent in the ministry preaching and teaching 'people of all nations' to 'come to a true understanding of God'. Isn't that amazing. Jah is really seeing to the advancement of His purpose in these last days. Of the 266 islands and lands in the world there are only 3 were His Witnesses do not actually reside. They are Afghanistan, North Korea & Somalia. Happily, those 3 countries have, never-the-less, received literature and also have internet connection to JW.org This means that every country has now had some degree of witnessing to God's truth and purpose and the coming of His Kingdom taught to them. Knowing that Kingdom rule has begun should greatly inspire us to 'buy out the opportune time' and yet many fail to acknowledge that these developments fulfill Bible prophecy regarding the last days. They may expect this system to fall apart one day or may believe that somehow human efforts will achieve 'peace and security'. Do you recognize that we are living deep in the last days of satan's system? 'Buying out the opportune time' is not easy in a world full of distractions. 'Just as the days of Noah were so the presence of the of man will be. They were eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage,....and they took no note until the flood came and swept them all away.' Jesus said, 'Prove yourselves ready, because at an hour that you do not think it, the of man is coming.' Although the of man is coming at an hour we do not think to be it, we need to remember that Jehovah is the Great Timekeeper. His timetable is not controlled by world events and human plans. Jehovah regulates the timing and outcome of matters to accomplish His purpose. Many of the momentous changes in the world have been fulfilling prophecy, particularly in regard to the global preaching of the Good News of God's Kingdom. For e.g. the collapse of the Soviet Union and its consequences. Few would have thought that such enormous political changes could happen so quickly. As a result of these changes the Good News is now being preached throughout many lands where the work was previously banned. Similar such happenings have been taking place for the past 100 years, right up to now, when we see the work progressing to God's timetable. We know that satan and those under his influence are trying to stop the work that God assigned to His followers but he has/is failing completely! Despite satan's attacks we know that Jehovah God as a 'living God', who is the Saviour of all sorts of men, especially faithful ones, and that He 'knows how to deliver people of Godly devotion out of trial.' Although, we do not know the full details of when all these things will occur, we do know that Christ will do away with God's enemies, and Jehovah's sovereignty will be fully vindicated. May we never fall into the snare of thinking that 'all things are continuing exactly as from creation's beginning' but let us 'show a waiting attitude for the God of our salvation.' Happily, God 's original purpose for humankind included endless time to learn about Him and His beautiful creation. Eccl. 3:11 Everything He(Jah) has made pretty in its time. Even time indefinite He has put in their heart, that mankind may never find out the work that the true God has made form the start to the finish. Such a wonderful future is awaiting us, if we will just reach out our hand, and take a hold of God's hand, He will 'lead us in paths of righteousness.' Yours, Katidid.
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The Bible And The Divine Name	Posted:Apr 8, 2015 8:46 pm Last Updated:Apr 13, 2015 4:48 am 3401 Views
Taken from our 2015 Calendar Psalm 106:1 Give thanks to Jehovah, for He is good. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lachish Letters - before 607 B.C.E. - written in Hebrew. The divine name appears 11 times in fragments of letters written by Jewish military officers. Several of the letters begin with the greeting: "May Jehovah cause my lord to hear tidings of peace!" Moabite Stone - c. 9th century B.C.E. - written in Moabite. In this inscription, Moabite King Mesha credits his god chemosh with a successful rebellion against Israel, boasting: "I took from there the vessels of YHWH(Jehovah)" Ketef Hinnom Silver Scroll I - c. 7th century B.C.E. - written in Hebrew. Dating from before the destruction of Jerusalem in 607 B.C.E., the inscription reads: "May Jehovah bless you and safeguard you. May Jehovah make His face shine upon you." - Numbers 6:24+25 God's name was well-known by God's ancient people as well as by others, and it was in common usage, as evidenced by secular writers. The Moabite Stone contains the earliest known inscriptions of God's name. The Silver Scroll, containing God's name, is the earliest known inscription of a Bible text. Great Isaiah Scroll - c. 2nd century B.C.E. - written in Hebrew. The largest Dead Sea Scroll; found in Qumran in 1947 Fouad Papyrus No. 266 - c. 1st century B.C.E. - written in Greek with the divine name in Hebrew. God's name occurs many times in Hebrew letters in this papyrus. Nahal Hever Fragments - c. 1st century C.E. - written in Greek with the divine name in Hebrew. Fragments from the so-called Minor Prophets (Habakkuk 2:16-20 and Zechariah 9:14) Jehovah wanted His name to be known. Exodus 9:16 But for this very reason I have kept you in existence: to show you my power and to have my name declared in all the earth There is irrefutable evidence that God's name is in ancient Hebrew manuscripts and in Greek manuscript translations of the Hebrew Scriptures from both before and after the time of Jesus' earthly ministry. Therefore, Jesus would have known and used the divine name, and His apostles would have used it in their writings. John 17:6 “I have made your name manifest to the men whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have observed your word. Latin Vulgate - c. 405 C.E. - written in Latin. The Vulgate was the standard Bible of the Catholic Church for over a thousand years, including during the infamous Dark Ages. Pugio fidei(Dagger of Faith) - c. 1278 C.E. - written in Latin. This document, written by Spanish Dominican monk Raymundus Martini, is an attack on Jewish beliefs and a defense of Catholic doctrine. The text uses God's personal name, Jehovah, rending it as Yohouah. Victoria Porcheti adversus impios Hebraeos(Porchetus' Victory Against the Ungodly Hebrews) - 1303 C.E. - written in Latin. An anti-Jewish work by Italian monk Porchetus de Salvaticis. In the text, Porchetus used Yohouah(Jehovah) as well as the Hebrew Tetragrammaton in some places. Tractatus de oratione et modo orandi(Treatise on Prayer and the Way of Praying) - c. 1445 C.E. - written in Latin. Wessel Gansfort, a Dutch Catholic scholar, could read Hebrew and used God's name, spelling it Iohauah in his writings. Jerome, a Catholic priest and secretary to Pope Damasus I, translated the entire Bible into Latin. Eventually, his translation became known as the Vulgate. The Vulgate did not contain God's name. Despite this omission, the divine name was used in other writings by Catholic scholars during the Middle Ages as the above examples show. Tyndale's Pentateuch - 1530 C.E. - written in English. William Tyndale's Pentateuch(Genesis through Deuteronomy) used the name Jehovah 14 times. Great Bible(Chained Bible) - 1539 C.E. - written in English. After Miles Coverdale revised Tyndale's work, it was decreed that every church in England and Wales should receive a copy. This Bible became known as the Chained Bible because it was chained to the reading desks to prevent theft, to prevent it from falling into the hands of the 'common man', which kept the power over the people in the hands of the Catholic Church. During the Reformation, there was a rebellion against the authority of the Catholic Church. Reformers returned to the ancient texts and began to restore God's name to its rightful place in the Bible. During this time period, the Bible was translated into English and was widely distributed. Munster's Epistle to the Hebrews - 1557 - written in Hebrew and Latin. It contains the Tetragrammaton in the Christian Greek Scriptures. Nuremberg Polyglot(12 languages) - 1599 - written in Czech, Danish, English, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Polish, Spanish and Syriac. It contains the Tetragrammaton in the Christian Greek Scriptures. Reina-Valera Bible - 1602 - written in Spanish. The name Jehovah appears throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. King James Version - 1611 C.E. - written in English. King James I of England commissioned this translation, which took 47 scholars about seven years to complete. The King James Version is the most widely distributed Bible in history. The 1613 version uses God's name in four passages. Jehovabijbel - 1755 - written in Dutch. The divine name is found throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. In addition to the translations of the Bible into English, God's Word was translated into various other languages. A number of translators included the divine name in the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures as the above examples show. New world Translation - 1950 to 1960 - written in English. Originally released in six volumes the complete New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures restored God's name, Jehovah, to its rightful place. New World Translation - 1984 - written in 117 languages(not including sign languages). This revision contained 125,000 marginal references as an aid in Bible study. New World Translation - 2013 - written in English. This is a modern language translation of the entire Bible from ancient Hebrew and Greek texts. It is clear, accurate, and easy to understand. The New World Translation has been published in whole or in part in over 120 languages. To date, more than 200 million copies have been produced. One outstanding features of this modern-language translation is the restoration of the divine name to its rightful place. The name Jehovah appears 7,216 times in the Hebrew and Christian Greek Scriptures. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I sure hope you have enjoyed this short outline of the Bible's translations and its spread into the wider world. I find this type of study fascinating as it shows Jehovah's hand in the outpouring of His purpose. Wonderful. I am sorry I could not add more photos for you but I had trouble trying to format it properly so I opted for this more simple format. Yours, Katidid. These photos show Bibles on display at the exhibit "The Bible and the Divine Name" at the world headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses.
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Healing	Posted:Mar 24, 2015 4:26 am Last Updated:Mar 25, 2015 5:39 pm 3369 Views
Definition: Causing a person who has been physically, mentally or spiritually sick to gain good health. Some of the pre-Christian Hebrew prophets as well as Jesus Christ and certain members of the early Christian congregation were enabled by God's spirit to perform miraculous healing. Is Miraculous Healing In Our Day Done By Means Of The Spirit Of God? Can the ability to perform miracles come from a source other than the true God? Moses and Aaron appeared before Pharaoh of Egypt to request that Israel be allowed to go into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to Jehovah. As evidence of divine backing, Moses directed Aaron to throw down his rod and it became a big snake. That miracle was done by God's power. Then the magic-practicing priests of Egypt threw down their rods and these, too, became big snakes. (Exodus 7:8-12) By whose power did they perform their miracles? Deuteronomy 18:10-12 There should not be found in you anyone who makes his or his pass through the fire, anyone who employs divination, anyone practicing magic, anyone who looks for omens, a sorcerer, anyone binding others with a spell, anyone who consults a spirit medium or a fortune-teller, or anyone who inquires of the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to Jehovah, and on account of these detestable practices Jehovah your God is driving them away from before you. In the 21st century some faith healing is performed in services conducted by the clergy of christendom. Amoung non-christian religions there are voodoo priests, witch doctors, medicine men and others who also do healing; they often employ magic and divination. Some "psychic healers" say that their cures have nothing to do with religion. In all these instances, does the healing power come from the true God? Matthew 24:24 False christs and false prophets will arise and will give great signs(miracles - TEV) and wonders so as to mislead, if possible, even the chosen ones. Matthew 7:15-23 Be on the watch for the false prophets....Many will say to me in that day, 'Lord, Lord did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perfom many powerful works(miracles - JB, NE, TEV) in your name?' And yet then I will confess to them: 'I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness.' Are The Sensational Cures Of Our Day Performed In The Same Way As The Miraculous Cures Of Jesus And His Early Disciples? Cost of services. Matthew 10:8 Cure sick people, raise up dead persons, make lepers clean, expel demons. You received free, give free. Are healers of today doing that - giving free, as Jesus commanded? Rate of success. Luke 6:19 All the crowd were seeking to touch Him because power was going out of Him and healing them all. Acts 5:15+16 They brought the sick out even into the broad ways and laid them there upon little beds and cots, in order that, as Peter would go by, at least his shadow might fall upon some one of them. Also, the multitude from the cities around Jerusalem kept coming together, bearing sick people and those troubled with unclean spirits, and they would one and all be cured. In our day do all who go to religious practitioners or to religious shrines seeking a cure get healed? Does The Way Of Life Of Members Of The Organizations Of Which 'Healers' Are A Part Give Evidence That They Have God's Spirit? As a group do they outstandingly manifest such fruits of the Spirit as love, long-suffering, mildness and self control? Galatians 5:22-24 On the other hand, the fruitage of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. Moreover, those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed to the stake the flesh together with its passions and desires. Are they truly 'no part of the world.' shunning all involvement in the world's political affairs? (John 17:16) They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world Have they remained clean of bloodguilt during wartime? (Isaiah 2:4) He will render judgment among the nations and set matters straight respecting many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, nor will they learn war anymore. Do they have a fine reputation because of avoiding the world's immoral conduct? (1Thessalonians 4:3-8) For this is the will of God, that you should be holy and abstain from sexual immorality. Each one of you should know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not with greedy, uncontrolled sexual passion like the nations have that do not know God. No one should go beyond proper limits and take advantage of his brother in this matter, because Jehovah exacts punishment for all these things, just as we told you previously and also strongly warned you. For God has called us, not for uncleanness, but for holiness. So, then, the man who disregards this is disregarding, not man, but God, who gives you his holy spirit Are True Christians Today Identified By The ability To Do Miraculous Healing? John 13:35 By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love amoung yourselves. If we really believe Jesus on this point we need to look for love, not miraculous healing, as evidence of true Christianity. Acts 1:8 You will receive power when the Holy Spirit arrives upon you, and you will be witnesses of me....to the most distant part of the earth. Just before leaving His apostles to return to Heaven, Jesus told them that this, not healing, was the vital work they were to do. Matthew 24:14 And this good news of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come Matthew 28:19,20) Go, therefore, and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the and of the holy spirit 1Corinthians 12:28-30 God has set the respective ones in the congregation, first, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then powerful works; then gifts of healing; helpful services, ability to direct, different tongues. Not all are apostles, are they? Not all are prophets, are they? Not all are teachers, are they? Not all perform powerful works, do they? Not all have gifts of healing, do they? So, the Bible clearly shows that not all true Christians would have the gift of healing. Does Not Mark 16:17+18 Show That Ability To Heal The Sick Would Be A Sign Identifying Believers? Mark 16:17+18 - KJ These signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly think, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. These verses appear in certain Bible manuscripts and versions of the fifth and sixth centuries C.E. but they do not appear in the older Greek manuscripts, the Sinaiticus and Vatican MS. 1209 of the fourth century. Dr. B.R. Westcott, an authority on Bible manuscripts, said that 'the verses....are no part of the original narrative but an appendage.' (An Introduction to the Study of the Gospels. London, 1881, p.338 ) Bible translator Jerome, in the fifth century, said, that 'almost all the Greek codices (are) without this passage.' (The Last Twelve Verses of the Gospel According to S. Mark, London, 1871, J.W. Burgon, p. 53) There is no record that early Christians either drank poisons or handled serpents to prove they were believers. Why Were Such Gifts As The Ability To Do Miraculous Healing Given To First-Century Christians? Hebrews 2:3+4 How shall we escape if we have neglected a salvation of such greatness in that it began to be spoken through our Lord and verified for us by those who heard Him, while God joined in bearing witness with signs as well as portents and various powerful works and with distributions of Holy Spirit according to His will? Here was convincing evidence, indeed, that the Christian congregation, which was then new, was truly of God. Once that was fully established, would it be necessary to prove it again? Miraculous healing was to be a “sign” of divine backing. Acts 4:22, 29+30 For the man on whom this miracle of healing had been done was more than 40 years old.....And now, Jehovah, give attention to their threats, and grant to your slaves to keep speaking your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand for healing and while signs and wonders occur through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” Those who refused to recognize and acknowledge this sign were spiritually blind and deaf. Isaiah 6:10 Make the heart of this people unreceptive, make their ears unresponsive, and paste their eyes together, so that they may not see with their eyes and hear with their ears, so that their heart may not understand and they may not turn back and be healed.” John 12:37-41 Although he had performed so many signs before them, they were not putting faith in him, so that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, who said: “Jehovah, who has put faith in the thing heard from us? And as for the arm of Jehovah, to whom has it been revealed?” The reason why they were not able to believe is that again Isaiah said: “He has blinded their eyes and has made their hearts hard, so that they would not see with their eyes and understand with their hearts and turn around and I heal them.” Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory, and he spoke about him For the reason, then, that divine healings were to serve as a sign to unbelievers, they were not ordinarily performed in behalf of those who were already spirit-begotten Christians. So when Timothy had stomach trouble, instead of performing a miraculous cure, Paul recommended that he take a little wine for his ailment. 1Timothy 5:23 Do not drink water any longer, but take a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent cases of sickness. 1Corinthians 12:29+30; 13:8, 13 Not all are prophets, are they?...Not all have gifts of healing, do they? Not all speak in tongues, do they?...Love never fails but whether there are gifts of prophesying, they will be done away with; whether there are tongues, they will cease...Now, however, there remains faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. When they had accomplished their purpose, those miraculous gifts would cease but priceless qualities that are the fruitage of God's Spirit would still be manifest in the lives of true Christians. As Long As A Person Is Healed, Is It Really Important How It Is Done? 2Thessalonians 2:9+10 The lawless one's presence is according to the operation of satan with every powerful work (all kinds of miracles - JB ) and lying signs and portents and with every unrighteous deception for those who are perishing, as a retribution because they did not accept the love of the truth that they might be saved. Luke 9:24+25 Whoever wants to save his soul (life - RS, JB, TEV) will lose it; but whoever loses his soul (life) for my sake is the one that will save it. Really what does a man benefit himself if he gains the whole world but loses his own self or suffers damage? What Hope Is There For Real Healing From all Sickness? Revelation 21:1-4 I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away....And He(God) will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away. Isaiah 25:8 He will actually swallow up death forever, and the Sovereign Lord Jehovah will certainly wipe the tears from all faces. Isaiah 33:24 No resident will say: "I am sick." Not withstanding the source, any healing done in this system of things brings only temporary benefits as eventually we all die. Lazarus was raised from the dead(healed as it were) by Jesus, but he still eventually died again. That is why the promised resurrection is needed. In this satan system all are weighed down by our age old enemy, death. Will There Ever Be A Time When Everyone Living will Enjoy Good Health And Never Have To Dies? In God’s promised new world, Christ’s love and tender care will then be abundant, just as they were when he was on the earth. At that time He gave us foregleams of what the New World will provide and what a loving King He will be to us. Psalm 72:12-14 For he will rescue the poor who cry for help, Also the lowly one and whoever has no helper. He will have pity on the lowly and the poor, And the lives of the poor he will save. From oppression and from violence he will rescue them, And their blood will be precious in his eyes. During the rule of God’s Kingdom, there will be a literal fulfillment of prophecies of marvelous things as foretold. Isaiah11:6-9 The wolf will reside for a while with the lamb, and with the young goat the leopard will lie down, and the calf and the lion and the fattened animal will all be together; and a little boy will lead them. The cow and the bear will feed together, and their young will lie down together. The lion will eat straw like the bull. The nursing will play over the lair of a cobra, and a weaned will put his hand over the den of a poisonous snake. They will not cause any harm or any ruin in all my holy mountain, because the earth will certainly be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah as the waters cover the sea. Isaiah 33:24 And no resident will say: “I am sick.” The people dwelling in the land will be pardoned for their error Isaiah 35:5-7 At that time the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. At that time the lame will leap like the deer, and the tongue of the speechless will shout for joy. For waters will burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert plain. The heat-parched ground will become a reedy pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water. In the lairs where jackals rested there will be green grass and reeds and papyrus. Isaiah 65:17-25 For look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be called to mind, nor will they come up into the heart. So exult and be joyful forever in what I am creating. For look! I am creating Jerusalem a cause for joy and her people a cause for exultation and I will rejoice in Jerusalem and exult in my people; No more will there be heard in her the sound of weeping or a cry of distress. No more will there be an infant from that place who lives but a few days, nor an old man who fails to live out his days for anyone who dies at a hundred will be considered a mere boy, and the sinner will be cursed, even though he is a hundred years of age. They will build houses and live in them, and they will plant vineyards and eat their fruitage. They will not build for someone else to inhabit, nor will they plant for others to eat. For the days of my people will be like the days of a tree, and the work of their hands my chosen ones will enjoy to the full. They will not toil for nothing, nor will they bear for distress, because they are the offspring made up of those blessed by Jehovah, and their descendants with them. Even before they call out, I will answer; while they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb will feed together, the lion will eat straw just like the bull, and the serpent’s food will be dust. They will do no harm nor cause any ruin in all my holy mountain,” says Jehovah. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~` What brilliant promises God has made to us......so much to look forward to. A Real Healing! Love Katidid.
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Races Of Mankind	Posted:Mar 18, 2015 7:06 pm Last Updated:Mar 18, 2015 7:07 pm 3323 Views
Definition: As used here, race means a division of mankind possessing in characteristic proportions certain combinations of physical traits that can be inherited and that are sufficient to set the group apart as a distinct human type. It should be noted, however, that the fact that the races are capable of intermarriage and reproduction shows that they are actually of one "kind," all being members of the human family. So the various races are merely facets of the total variation possible in humankind. From Where Did The Various Races Come? Genesis 5:1+2 This is the book of Adam’s history. In the day that God created Adam, he made him in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them. On the day they were created, he blessed them and named them Man. Genesis 1:28 Further, God blessed them, and God said to them: “Be fruitful and become many, fill the earth Thus all mankind are descendants of that first human pair, Adam and Eve. Acts 17:26 And he made out of one man every nation of men to dwell on the entire surface of the earth, and he decreed the appointed times and the set limits of where men would dwell, So, regardless of what races make up a nation, they all are offspring of Adam. Genesis 9:18+19 Noah’s sons who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham later became the father of Ca′naan. These three were Noah’s sons, and all the earth’s population came from them and spread abroad. After God destroyed the ungodly world by means of a global flood in Noah's day, the earth's new population, including all the races known today, developed from the offspring of Noah's three sons and their wives. Were Adam and Eve Merely Allegorical (fictional) Persons? The Bible does not support that view. Luke 3:23-38 When Jesus began his work, he was about 30 years old, being the of Joseph, of Heli,.... of David.... of Abraham.... of Adam. Joseph, David and Abraham are well-known historical persons. So is it not reasonable to conclude that Adam was a real person? Is It Unreasonable To Believe That All Of Us Descended From The Same Original Parents? "Science now corroborates what most great religions have long been preaching: Human beings of all races are....descended from the same first man." - Heredity in Humans(Philadelphia and New York, 1972), Amram Scheinfeld, p. 238. :The Bible story of Adam and Eve, father and mother of the whole human race, told centuries ago the same truth that science has shown today: that all the peoples of the earth are a single family and have a common origin." - The Races of Mankind(New York, 1978 ), Ruth Benedict and Gene Weltfish. p.3. Does The Bible Present Adam Simply As An Allegorical Character Representing All Early Mankind? Jude 14 Yes, the seventh one in line from Adam, Enoch, also prophesied.... Enoch was not the seventh in line from all mankind. Genesis 5:3 Adam lived for 130 years and then became father to a in his likeness, in his image, and he named him Seth Seth certainly was not fathered by all early men, nor did all early men father sons at 130 years of age. Where Did Cain Get His Wife If There Was just One Family? Genesis 3:20 After this Adam named his wife Eve, because she was to become the mother of everyone living. Genesis 5:3+4 Adam lived for 130 years and then became father to a in his likeness, in his image, and he named him Seth. After becoming father to Seth, Adam lived for 800 years. And he became father to sons and daughters. One of Adam's sons was Cain, and one of Adam's daughters must have become Cain's wife. At that time in human history when humans still had outstanding physical health and vitality, as indicated by the length of their lives, the likelihood of passing on defects as a result of marrying a close relative was not great. After some 2,500 years of human history, however, when mankind's physical condition had greatly deteriorated, Jehovah gave to Israel laws forbidding . Genesis 4:16+17 Then Cain went away from before Jehovah and took up residence in the land of Exile or Fugitiveness(Nod), to the east of Eden. Afterward Cain had sexual relations with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain did not first meet his wife in the land to which he fled, as if she were from another family. rather, it was there that he had sexual relations with her to produce a . What Explains the Development of the Various Racial Characteristics? "All men living today belong to a single species, Homo Sapiens, and are derived from a common stock...Biological differences between human beings are due to differences in hereditary constitutions and to the influence of the environment on this genetic potential. In most cases, those differences are due to the interaction of these two sets of factors....Differences between individuals within a race or within a population are often greater than the average differences between races or populations." - An international body of scientists convened by UNESCO, quoted in Statement on Race(New York, 1972, third ed.), Ashley Montagu, pp. 149, 150. A race is simply one of the partially isolated gene pools into which the human species came to be divided during and following its early geographical spread. Roughly one race has developed on each of the five major continental areas of the earth....Man did indeed diverge genetically during this phase of history and we can measure and study the results of this divergence in what remains today of the old geographical races. As we would expect, divergence appears to be correlated with the degree of isolation....When race formation took place on the continents, with the bottlenecking of thousands of populations in isolated gene pools all over the world, the gene-frequency differences we now see were established....The paradox which faces us is that each group of humans appears to be externally different yet underneath these differences there is fundamental similarity. - Heredity and Human Life, New York, 1963, H.L.Carson, pp. 151, 154, 162,163 Thus, early in human history, when a group of people were isolated from others and married within the group, certain distinctive combinations of genetic traits were emphasized in their offspring. Does The Bible Teach That Blacks Are Cursed? That idea is based on a misunderstanding of... Genesis 9:25 Cursed be Canaan. Let him become the lowest slave to his brothers It says nothing of skin colour. The curse was because Ham's Canaan had evidently performed some shocking act deserving of a curse. Who were Canaan's descendants? Not black peoples but lighter-skinned peoples living to the east of the Mediterranean Sea and because of their depraved practices, demonistic rites, idolatry and sacrifice they came under divine judgement and God gave to Israel the land occupied by the Canaanites. Genesis 10:15-19 Canaan became father to Sidon, his firstborn, and Heth, as well as the Jebusite, the Amorite, the Girgashite, the Hivite, the Arkite, the Sinite, the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. Afterward, the families of the Canaanites were scattered. So the boundary of the Canaanites was from Sidon as far as Gerar, near Gaza, as far as Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, near Lasha Not all the Canaanites were destroyed. Joshua 17:13 When the Israelites grew strong, they subjected the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not drive them out entirely From Which of Noah's Offspring Did the Black Peoples Descend? Genesis 10:6+7 The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan. Later references to Cush are usually equivalent to Ethiopia. Seva is later used when referring to another people in the eastern part of Africa and evidently close to Ethiopia. Isaiah 43:3 For I am Jehovah your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I have given Egypt as a ransom for you, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. Are All Humans Of God? Being of God is not something that we imperfect humans are entitled to by birth but we are all the offspring of Adam, who, when created in perfection was a " of God". Luke 3:38 of Enosh, of Seth, of Adam, of God. Acts 10: 34+35 At this Peter began to speak, and he said: “Now I truly understand that God is not partial, but in every nation the man who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him John 3:16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten , so that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life Exercising genuine faith in Him is necessary in order for any of us to attain to the kind of relationship with God that Adam lost. That privilege is open to people of all races. 1 John 3:10 The of God and the of the Devil are evident by this fact: Whoever does not practice righteousness does not originate with God, nor does the one who does not love his brother So God does not view all humans as His . From a spiritual standpoint, those who deliberately practice what God condemns have the Devil as their father. John 8:44 You are from your father the Devil, and you wish to do the desires of your father. That one was a murderer when he began, and he did not stand fast in the truth, because truth is not in him. When he speaks the lie, he speaks according to his own disposition, because he is a liar and the father of the lie However, true Christians reflect godly qualities. From amoung these, God has selected a limited number to rule as kings with Christ in heaven. These are referred to by God as his "" or his "sons." Romans 8:19-21 For the creation is waiting with eager expectation for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will, but through the one who subjected it, on the basis of hope that the creation itself will also be set free from enslavement to corruption and have the glorious freedom of the of God Relief for mankind will come when "the sons of God," after receiving heavenly life, are 'revealed' as taking positive action on behalf of mankind under the direction of Christ. After faithful ones on earth (referred to as "the creation" in this Scripture) have attained to human perfection and have demonstrated unshakeable loyalty to Jehovah as Universal Sovereign, then they too will enjoy the fine relationship of of God. People of all races will share in this. Will People of All Races Ever truly Be United As Brothers and Sisters? To those who would be His true disciples, Jesus said .... Matthew 23:8 ....all of you are brothers. Later he added... John 13:35 By this all will know that you are my disciples—if you have love among yourselves Despite human imperfections, that sense of oneness was a reality amoung early Christians. Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor freeman, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in union with Christ Jesus Christian brotherhood unmarred by racial distinctions is a reality amoung Jehovah's witnesses in the 20th & 21st centuries. Writer William Whalen said in U.S. Catholic: "I believe that one of the most attractive characteristics of teh organizartion of Jehovah's Witnesses has been its traditional policy of racial equality." After making extensive study of Jehovah's witnesses in Africa, Oxford University sociologist Bryan Wilson stated: "The Witnesses are perhaps more successful than any other group in the speed with which they eliminate tribal discrimination amoung their own recruits." Reporting on an international gathering of Witnesses from 123 lands, The New York Times Magazine said: "The Witnesses impressed New Yorkers not only with their numbers, but with their diversity (they include people from all walks of life), their racial unself-consciousness (many Witnesses are Negroes) and their quiet, orderly behaviour." Soon God's Kingdom will destroy the present ungodly system of things, including all who do not genuinely love both Jehovah God and their fellowman. Daniel 2:44 In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed. And this kingdom will not be passed on to any other people. It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it alone will stand forever Luke 10:25-28 Now look! a man versed in the Law stood up to test him and said: “Teacher, what do I need to do to inherit everlasting life?” He said to him: “What is written in the Law? How do you read?” In answer he said: “‘You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole strength and with your whole mind’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” He said to him: “You answered correctly; keep doing this and you will get life. God's Word promises.... Revelations 7:9 After this I saw, and look! a great crowd, which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes; and there were palm branches in their hands Drawn together by worship of the True God, by faith in Jesus Christ, and by love for one another, they will truly make up a united human family. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As always, I hope this has aided your Bible studies and helped clear up any gaps in your understanding. Yours, Katidid.
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Revelations	Posted:Mar 13, 2015 5:36 pm Last Updated:Mar 13, 2015 5:44 pm 3313 Views
Writer: John Place Written: Patmos Writing Completed: c. 96 C.E. Are the symbolisms of Revelation intended to terrify? Far from it! The fulfillment of the prophecy may bring terror to the wicked, but God's faithful servants will agree with the inspired introduction and the angel's comment at the end: "Happy is he who reads aloud and those who hear the words of this prophecy." " Happy is anyone observing the words of the prophecy of this scroll." (Rev. 1:3; 22: 7) Though written before the four other inspired books by John, Revelation is correctly placed last in the collection of 66 inspired books making up our Bible, for it is the Revelation that takes its readers far into the future, by providing an all-embracing vision of what God purposes for mankind, and that brings the grand theme of the Bible, the sanctification of Jehovah's name and the vindication of His sovereignty by means of the Kingdom under Christ, the Promised Seed, to a glorious climax. According to the title verse, this is "a revelation by Jesus Christ, which God gave Him.....And He sent forth His angel and presented it in signs through him to His slave John." So John was merely the writer, not the originator, of the material. Therefore John is not the revelator, nor is the book a revelation of John. (Rev. 1:1) This unveiling to God's slave of His wonderful purposes for the future makes its title most appropriate, for the book's Greek name A.po.ka'ly.psis (Apocalypse) means "Uncovering" or "Unveiling". Who was this John referred to as the writer of Revelation in its first chapter? We are told that he was a slave of Jesus Christ, as well as a brother and sharer in tribulation, and that he was exiled on the island of Patmos. Obviously he was well-known to his first readers, to whom no further identification was necessary. He must be the apostle John. This conclusion is supported by most ancient historians. Papias, who wrote in the first part of the second century C.E., is said to have held the book to be of apostolic origin. Says Justin Martyr, of the second century, in his "Dialogue With Trypho, a Jew" (LXXXI ): "There was a certain man with us, whose name was John, one of the apostles of Christ, who prophesied, by a revelation that was made to him." (The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1, pg. 240) Irenaeus speaks explicitly of the apostle John as the writer, as do Clements of Alexandria and Tertullian, of the late second and early third centuries. Origen, noteworthy Biblical scholar of the third century, said: "I speak of him who leaned back on Jesus' breast, John, who has left behind one Gospel,....and he wrote also the Apocalypse." (The Ecclesiastical History, Eusebius, VI, xxv, 9, 10) The fact that John's other writings put so much emphasis on love does not mean that he could not have written the very forceful and dynamic Revelation. He and his brother James were the ones so filled with indignation against the Samaritans of a certain city that they wanted to call down fire from Heaven. That is why they were given the surname "Boanerges," or "Sons of Thunder," (Mark 3:17) This divergence in style should cause no difficulty when we remember that in Revelation the subject matter is different. What John saw in these visions was unlike anything he had ever seen before. The outstanding harmony of the book with the rest of the prophetic Scriptures unquestionably proves it to be an authentic part of God's inspired Word. According to the earliest testimony, John wrote the revelation about 96 C.E., approximately 26 years after the destruction of Jerusalem. This would be toward the close of the reign of Emperor Domitian. In verification of this, Irenaeus in his "Against Heresies" (V, xxx) says of the Apocalypse: "For that was seen no very long time since, but almost in our day, towards the end of Domitian's reign".(The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1, pg. 559-60) Eusebius and Jerome both agree with this testimony. Domitian was the brother of Titus, who led the Roman armies to destroy Jerusalem. He became emperor at the death of Titus, 15 years before the book of Revelation was written. He demanded that he be worshiped as god and assumed the title Dominus et Deus noster (meaning "Our Lord and God") (The Lives of the Caesars (Domitian, XIII, 2) Emperor worship did not disturb those who worshiped false gods, but it could not be indulged in by the early Christians, who refused to compromise their faith on this point. Thus, toward the close of Domitian's rule (81-96 C.E.), severe persecution came upon the Christians. It is thought that John was exiled to Patmos by Domitian. When Domitian was assassinated in 96 C.E., he was succeeded by the more tolerant emperor Nerva, who evidently released John. It was during this imprisonment on Patmos that John received the visions he wrote down. We must appreciate that what John saw and was told to write to the congregations was not just a series of unrelated visions, haphazardly recorded. No, the entire book of Revelation, from beginning to end, gives us a coherent picture of things to come, going form one vision to another until the full disclosure of God's Kingdom purposes is reached at the end of the visions. We should therefore see the book of Revelation as a whole and as made up of related, harmonious parts, transporting us far into the future from John's time. After its introduction (Rev. 1:1-9), the book can be viewed as being divided into 16 visions: 1. 1:10-3:22 The Message to the Seven Congregations; 2. 4:1-5:14 The Vision of Jehovah's Holiness and Glory; 3. 6:1-17 The Lamb Opens Six Seals of the Scroll; 4. 7:1-17 The Four Angels Hold Back the Four Winds; 5. 8:1-9:21 The Seventh Seal is Opened; 6. 10:1-11:19 The Sacred Secret of God is to be Brought to a Finish; 7. 12:1-17 The Kingdom of the World Did Become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; 8. 13:1-18 The Wild Beast from the Sea; 9. 14:1-20 The "Everlasting Good News" and Related Messages; 10. 15:1-16:21 The Angels with the Seven Last Plagues; 11. 17:1-18 God's Judgement Upon Babylon; 12. 18:1-19:10 The Marriage of the Lamb; 13. 19:11-21 The Lamb Makes War in Righteousness; 14. 20:1-10 The Angel Comes Down with the Key to the Abyss; 15. 20:11-21:8 Judgement Day; 16. 21:9-22:5 The Glory of the New Jerusalem. These visions are followed by a motivating conclusion, in which Jehovah, Jesus, the angel and John all speak, making their final contribution as the principals in the channel of communication. (Rev. 22:6-21) Such a thrilling climax to such a thrilling Book! A climax that we are, right now, in the throes of. Amazing that we are so blessed as to see these things come to pass. Something that so many before us have kept faith in and longed for. Eventhough some never heard these prophecies and many could not understand them, yet they longed for their fulfillment. And here we are, with the possibility of 'coming out of'(surviving) God's Great Day to see the beginning of The New World under Kingdom rule. So wonderful a future awaits. Hallelujah! (Praise Jehovah All You People) Love Katidid.
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The Book Of Acts	Posted:Mar 13, 2015 5:10 am Last Updated:Mar 13, 2015 5:13 am 3283 Views
Writer: Luke Place Written: Rome Writing Completed: c. 61 C.E. Time Covered: 33 - c. 61 C.E. In the 42nd book of the inspired Scriptures, Luke gives an account covering the life, activity and ministry of Jesus and His followers up to the time of Jesus' ascension. The historical record of the 44th book of the Scriptures, Acts of Apostles, continues the history of early Christianity by describing the founding of the congregation as a result of the operation of the holy spirit. It also describes the expansion of the witness, first amoung the Jews and then to people of all nations. The greater part of the material in the first 12 chapters covers the activities of Peter and the remaining 16 chapters, the activities of Paul. Luke had an intimate association with Paul, accompanying him on many of his travels. The book is addressed to Theophilus. Since he is referred to as "most excellent," it is possible that he occupied some official position, or it may simply be an expression of high esteem. (Luke 1:3) The account provides an accurate historical record of the establishment and growth of the Christian congregation. It commences with Jesus' appearances to His disciples following His resurrection and then records important events of the period from 33 to about 61 C.E., covering approximately 28 years in all. From ancient times the writer of the Gospel of Luke has been credited with the writing of Acts. Both books are addressed to Theophilus. By repeating the closing events of his Gospel in the opening verses of Acts, Luke binds the two accounts together as the work of the same author. It appears that Luke completed Acts about 61 C.E., probably toward the close of the two year stay in Rome while in the company of the apostle Paul. Since it records events down to that year, it could not have been completed earlier, and its leaving Paul's appeal to Caesar undecided indicates that it was completed by that year. From the most ancient times, Acts has been accepted by Bible scholars as canonical. Parts of the book are to be found amoung some of the oldest extant papyrus manuscripts of the Greek Scriptures, notable the Michigan No.1571 (p38 ) of the third or fourth century C.E. and Chester Beatty No (p45) of the third century. Both of these indicate that Acts was circulating with other books of the inspired Scriptures and hence was part of the catalog at an early date. Luke's writing in the book of Acts reflects the same remarkable accuracy as we have already noted marks his Gospel. Sir William M. Ramsay rates the writer of Acts "amoung the historians of the first rank," and he explains what this means by saying: "The first and the essential quality of the great historian is truth. What he says must be trustworthy." (St. Paul the Traveller, 1895, pg. 4) Illustrating the accurate reporting that so characterizes Luke's writings, we quote Edwin Smith, commander of a flotilla of British warships in the Mediterranean during World War 1, writing in the magazine The Rudder, March 1947: "The ancient vessels were not steered as those in modern times by a single rudder hinged to the stern post, but by two great oars or paddles, one on each side of the stern; hence the mention of them in the plural number by St. Luke. (Acts 27:40)... We have seen in our examination that every statement as to the movements of this ship, from the time when she left Fair Havens until she was beached at Malta, as set forth by St. Luke has been verified by external and independent evidence of the most exact and satisfying nature; and that his statements as to the time the ship remained at sea correspond with the distance covered; and finally that his description of the place arrived at is in conformity with the place as it is. All of which goes to show that Luke actually made the voyage as described, and has moreover shown himself to be a man whose observations and statements may be taken as reliable and trustworthy in the highest degree." Archaeological findings also confirm the accuracy of Luke's account. For example, excavations at Ephesus have unearthed the temple of Artemis as well as the ancient theater where the Ephesians rioted against the apostle Paul. (Acts 19:27-41) Inscriptions have been discovered that confirm the correctness of Luke's use of the title "city rulers" as applying to the officials of Thessalonica. (Acts 17:6,8 ). Two Maltese inscriptions show that Luke was also correct in referring to Publius as "the principal man" of Malta. (Acts 28: 7) Further, the various speeches made by Peter, Stephen, Cornelius, Tertullus, Paul and others, as recorded by Luke, are all different in style and composition. Even the speeches of Paul, spoken before different audiences, changed in style to suit the occasion. This indicates that Luke recorded only what he himself heard or what other eyewitnesses reported to him. Luke was no fiction writer. Very little is known of the personal life of Luke. Luke himself was not an apostle but was associated with those who were. (Luke 1:1-4) In three instances the apostle Paul mentions Luke by name. (Col. 4:10, 14; 2Tim. 4:11; Philem. 24) For some years he was the constant companion of Paul, who called him "the beloved physician." There is a shifting back and forth in the account between "they" and "we," indicating that Luke was with Paul at Troas during Paul's second missionary tour, that he may have remained behind at Philippi until Paul returned some years later, and that he then rejoined Paul and accompanied him on his trip to Rome for trial. (Acts 16:8, 10; 17:1; 20:4-6; 28:16) Yours Sincerely, Katidid.
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Cat 5	Posted:Mar 1, 2015 7:39 pm Last Updated:Apr 8, 2015 6:24 pm 3903 Views
Sorry I've been away just recently.......I owe a new blog by now I am sure. We had a Cat. 5 Cyclone go straight thru' our town Fri. 20th and we were offline for 7 1/2 days. The energy blokes and the army went at it full tilt. The first predictions were of no power for anywhere between 2 weeks and a month, so they didn't mess around. 7 days was enough to be without anyway. Grin. The cyclone took out all the substations as well as the main power station and that took out the water pumping plants too. The cyclone broke land just north of us on the coast and we are just inland and south of there so we got it at a high Cat. 4 probably. So scarey!!! When the eye came over and everything was still for about 20 mins......very weird.....but when the wind changed and started to pick up again, well,...I don't mind saying, I sat down and cried. We'd just had 3 hours of scaresville, I didn't want to face that again! Fortunately, it had blown itself out on the big hill between us and the coast, quite a bit, and so left us to the southward as a Cat. 3. By about 1:30,...it was dark as if it were evening,...twas like that for hours really,....so the afternoon was spent in a sort of stupor. The weekend came,....well,....the 'ant nest' really came alive and the town went into panic mode. We stayed pretty much out of it but hubby drove all the way to Sarina to pick up a generator as we had no hope of getting one here. Twas 9 hours driving well spent tho' as we did not lose any freezer meat or any fridge food. Many people are much more unfortunate. We just had to clean up. Our house has been a good buy and hubby screwed down the roof so we were pleased about that effort put in. A few days were spent in 'computer cold turkey' but after that, when the power came back on, it felt very odd indeed sitting here and using it again. I had been back in the 'real world' and found after a very short time that I liked it. Hehehehehehe..... Never the less, here I am again. Hahahahahaha..... The pic is taken out our bathroom louvre windows. These Norfolk Island Pine Trees usually lean in the opposite direction, 'ey! Love, Katidid.
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Paul - The Books of Titus, Philemon & Hebrews	Posted:Feb 12, 2015 5:17 pm Last Updated:Feb 18, 2015 5:28 am 3473 Views
The Book Of Titus Written: Macedonia(?) Completed: c. 61-64 C.E. "Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ....to Titus, a genuine according to a faith shared in common." (Titus 1:1, 4) So begins Paul's letter to his coworker and long time associate, Titus, whom he had left on the island of Crete to organize the congregations better. Titus had a big task on his hands. This island, which was said to have been the ancient abode of "the father of gods and men," was the source of the saying, "to Crete a Cretan," meaning "to outwit a knave." (McClintock and Strong's Cyclopedia, 1981 reprint, Vol II, pg. 564; The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, 1958, pg. 306) The truthfulness of its people was proverbial, so that Paul even quoted their own prophet as saying: "Cretans are always liars, injurious wild beasts, unemployed gluttons." (Titus 1:12) The Cretans of Paul's day have also been described as follows: "The character of the people was unsteady, insincere and quarrelsome; they were given to greediness, licentiousness, falsehood and drunkenness, in no ordinary degree; and the Jews who had settled amoung them appear to have gone beyond the natives in immorality." (McClintock and Strong's Cyclopedia, 1981 reprint, Vol. X, pg. 442) It was in just such an environment that the congregations of Crete had sprung up; and hence it was especially needful for the believers "to repudiate ungodliness and worldly desires and to live with soundness of mind and righteousness and Godly devotion." as Paul exhorted. The book of Titus itself gives very little information about the association of Paul and Titus. From the references to Titus in Paul's other letters, however, much information can be gleaned. Titus, who was a Greek, often accompanied Paul and on at least one occasion went up to Jerusalem with him. (Gal. 2:1-5) Paul refers to him as "a sharer with me and a fellow worker." It was Titus whom Paul had sent to Corinth after writing his first letter to the Corinthians from Ephesus. While in Corinth, Titus was connected with the collection that was being made for the brothers in Jerusalem, and subsequently he went back at Paul's direction to complete the collection. It was on the return journey to Corinth from his meeting with Paul in Macedonia that Titus was used to carry the second letter from Paul to the Corinthians. (2 Cor. 8: 16-24; 2:13; 7:5-7) After his release from his first imprisonment in Rome, Paul was again associated with Timothy and Titus during the final years of his ministry. This appears to have included service in Crete, Greece and Macedonia. Finally, Paul is spoken of as going to Nicopolis, in northwest Greece, where he was apparently arrested and taken to Rome for his final imprisonment and execution. It was during the visit to Crete that Paul had left Titus there to "correct the things that were defective and ...make appointments of older men in city after city," in harmony with the instructions he had given him. Paul's letter appears to have been written shortly after he left Titus in Crete, most likely from Macedonia. (Titus 1:5; 3:12; 1Tim. 1:3; 2Tim. 4:13, 20) It seems to have served a purpose similar to that of First Timothy, namely, to encourage Paul's colabourer and to give him authoritative backing in his duties. Paul must have written the letter sometime between his first and second imprisonment at Rome, or about 61 to 64C.E. The weight of evidence for the authenticity of the letter to Titus is the same as for the contemporary letters to Timothy, the three Bible books often being termed Paul's "pastoral letters." The style of writing is similar. Irenaeus and Origen both quote from Titus, and many other ancient authorities also testify to the book's canonicity. It is found in the Sinaitic and Alexandrine Manuscripts. In the John Rylands Library there is a papyrus fragment, P32, which is a codex leaf of about the third century C.E. containing Titus 1:11-15 and 2:3-8 (The Text of the New Testament, by Kurt and Barbara Aland, translated by E.F. Rhodes, 1987, pg. 98) There is no question that the book is an authentic part of the inspired Scriptures. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Book Of Philemon Written: Rome Completed: c. 60 - 61 C.E. This very tactful and loving letter of Paul is of great interest to Christians today. Not only is it the shortest epistle preserved from the hand of the "apostle to the nations" but in the whole Bible only 2 and 3 John contain less material. Also, it is the only "private" letter of Paul, in that it was not addressed officially to a congregation or a responsible overseer but was addressed to a private person and dealt solely with the special problem Paul wanted to discuss with this Christan brother, the apparently well-to-do Philemon, who lived in the Phrygian city of Colossae, in the very heart of Asia Minor. (Rom. 11:13) The purpose of the letter is clearly revealed: During his first imprisonment in Rome (59-61C.E), Paul had great freedom to preach the Kingdom of God. Amoung those who listened to his preaching was Onesimus, a runaway slave from the household of Philemon, Paul's friend. As a result Onesimus became a Christian, and Paul decided, with Onesimus' consent, to send hm back Philemon. It was at this time, also, that Paul wrote letters to the congregations in Ephesus and Colossae. In both of these letters, he gave good counsel to Christian slaves and slave owners on how to conduct themselves properly in this relationship. (Eph. 6:5-9; Col. 3:22-4:1) However, over and above this, Paul composed a letter to Philemon in which he personally pleaded in behalf of Onesimus. It was a letter written with his own hand - an unusual thing for Paul. (Phil. 19) This personal touch added greatly to the weight of his plea. The letter was most likely penned about 60-61C.E., as Paul had apparently preached in Rome long enough to make converts. Also, because he expresses hope, in verse 22, of being released, we can conclude that the letter was written after some time of his imprisonment had elapsed. It appears that the three letters, one for Philemon and those for the congregations in Ephesus and Colossae, were dispatched with Tychicus and Onesimus. (Eph. 6:21, 22; Col. 4: 7-9) That Paul was the writer of Philemon is evident from the first verse, where his is mentioned by name. He was acknowledged as such by Origen and Tertullian. (The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, edited by G.W. Bromily, Vol. 3, 1986, pg. 831) The authenticity of the book is also supported by its being listed, with others of Paul's epistles, in the Muratorian Fragment of the second century C.E. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Book of Hebrews Written: Rome Completed: c. 61 C.E. Paul is best known as the apostle "to the nations," but was his ministry confined to the non-Jews? Not at all! Just before Paul was baptized and commissioned for his work, the Lord Jesus said to Ananias: "This man (Paul) is a chosen vessel to me to bear my name to the nations as well as to kings and the sons of Israel." (Acts 9:15; Gal. 2:8+9) The writing of the book of Hebrews was truly in line with Paul's commission to bear the name of Jesus to the sons of Israel. However, some critics doubt Paul's writership of Hebrews. One objection is that Paul's name does not appear in the letter but this is really no obstacle, as many other canonical books fail to name the writer, who is often identified by internal evidence. Moreover, some feel that Paul may have deliberately omitted his name in writing to the Hebrew Christians in Judea, since his name had been an object of hatred by the Jews there. (Acts 21:28) Neither is the change of style from his other epistles any real objection to Paul's writership. Whether addressing pagans, Jews or Christians, Paul always showed his ability to "become all things to people of all sorts." Here his reasoning is presented to Jews as from a Jew, arguments that they could fully understand and appreciate. (1 Cor. 9:22) The internal evidence of the book is all in support of Paul's writership. The writer was in Italy and was associated with Timothy. These facts fit Paul. (Heb. 13:23+24) Furthermore, The doctrine is typical of Paul, though the arguments are presented from a Jewish viewpoint, designed to appeal to the strictly Hebrew congregation to which the letter was addressed. On this point Clarke's Commentary, Vol. 6, pg. 681, says concerning Hebrews: "That it was written to Jews, naturally such, the whole structure of the epistle proves. Had it been written to the Gentiles, not one in ten thousand of them could have comprehended the argument, because unacquainted with the Jewish system; the knowledge of which the writer of this epistle everywhere supposes." This helps to account for the difference of style when compared with Paul's other letters. The discovery in about 1930 of the Chester Beatty Papyrus No. 2(P46) has provided further evidence of Paul's writership. Commenting on this papyrus codex, which was written only about a century and a half after Paul's death, the eminent British textual critic Sir Frederic Kenyon said: "It is noticeable that Hebrews is placed immediately after Romans (an almost unprecedented position), which shows that at the early date when this manuscript was written no doubt was felt as to its Pauline authorship." (The Story Of The Bible, 1964, pg. 91) On this same question, McClintock and Strong's Cyclopedia states pointedly: "There is no substantial evidence, external or internal, in favour of any claimants to the authorship of this epistle except Paul." (1981 reprint, Vol VI, pg. 147) Apart from the book's acceptance by the early Christians, the contents of Hebrews prove that it is "inspired of God." It continually points the reader toward the Hebrew Scripture prophecies, making numerous references to the early writings, and show how these were fulfilled in Christ Jesus. In the first chapter alone, no less than seven quotations from the Hebrew Scriptures are used as the point is developed that the is now superior to the angels. It constantly magnifies Jehovah's Word and His name, pointing to Jesus as the Chief Agent of life and to God's Kingdom by Christ as mankind's only hope. As to the time of writing, it has already been shown that Paul wrote the letter while in Italy. In concluding the letter, he says: "Take note that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom, if he comes quite soon, I shall see you." (Heb 13:23) This seems to indicate that Paul was expecting an early release from prison and hoped to accompany Timothy, who had also been imprisoned but who had already been released. Thus, the final year of Paul's first imprisonment in Rome is suggested as the date of writing, namely, 61C.E. During the time of the end of the Jewish system of things, a period of crucial testing came upon the Hebrew Christians in Judea and especially on those in Jerusalem. With the growth and spread of the Good News, the Jews were becoming bitter and fanatic in the extreme in their opposition to the Christians. Only a few years earlier, the mere appearance of Paul in Jerusalem had stirred up a riot, with the religious Jews screaming at the top of their voices: "Take such a man away from the earth, for he was not fit to live!" More than 40 Jews had bound themselves with a curse neither to eat nor to drink until they had done away with him and it required a strong of heavily armed troops to bring him down by night to Caesarea. (Acts 22:22; 23:12-15; 23+24) In this atmosphere of religious fanaticism and hatred of Christians, the congregation had to live, preach and keep themselves firm in the faith. They had to have sound knowledge and understanding of how Christ fulfilled the Law that they might keep from falling back to Judaism and its observing of the Mosaic Law with the offering of animal sacrifices, all of it now nothing more than empty ritual. No one was better able to understand the pressure and persecution to which the Jewish Christians were exposed than the apostle Paul. No one was better equipped to supply them with powerful arguments and refutations of Jewish tradition than Paul, the former Pharisee. Drawing on his vast knowledge of the Mosaic Law, learned at the feet of Gamaliel, he presented incontestable proof that Christ is the fulfillment of the Law, its ordinances, and its sacrifices. He showed how these had now been replaced by far more glorious realities, bringing inestimably greater benefits under a new and better covenant. His keen mind lined up proof after proof in clear and convincing array. The end of the Law covenant and the coming in of the new covenant, the superiority of Christ's priesthood over the Aaronic priesthood, the real value of Christ's sacrifice compared with the offerings of bulls and goats, the entry of Christ into the very presence of Jehovah in the heavens rather than into a mere earthly tent - all these strikingly new teachings, hateful in the extreme to the unbelieving Jews, were here presented to the Hebrew Christians with such abundant evidence from the Hebrew Scriptures that no reasonable Jew could fail to be convinced. Armed with this letter, the Hebrew Christians had a new and powerful weapon to stop the mouths of the persecuting Jews, as well as a persuasive argument with which to convince and convert honest Jews seeking God's truth. The letter shows Paul's deep love for the Hebrew Christians and his burning desire to help them in a practical way in their time of great need. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Understanding that Hebrews is written specifically to the Jews helps us to understand the so called conflict between the books of Hebrews and James. The one saying that no work of the Law can save a man and the other telling us that faith is nothing without works. One can then easily understand that Hebrews is talking of the defunct Mosaic covenant and James is talking of the proof of faith being through actions and not words. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As always, I hope that you love these explanations of the situations in which the Bible books were written and that it helps you gain insight in your studies. Yours, Katidid.
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